Caelen pulled to a sudden stop, dropping me violently from his arms. I landed on my feet, steadying myself with only a few seconds to breathe before my hands were wrenched forcefully behind my back. Caelen pressed his face into the crook of my neck, holding my hands to his waist as I tried to control my unnecessary breathing.
Carrie was sat on the floor, her legs folded weakly beneath her as her arms were held above her head by who I knew to be Caelen's older brother, Vic, as his parents were stood to the side, holding hands as if this were a celebratory family occasion. Their eyes were gleaming as they smiled proudly, chests puffed out in swell delight.
'Carrie!' I gasped, tears swimming in my eyes as her head jerked up, her eyes searching for mine. I shivered slightly as her eyes met mine, red rimmed and teary, her hair tangled in knots. Never before had I seen her eyes clouded in such frantic terror, and never had I wanted to.
She opened her mouth to speak, but as soon as her lips parted a flow of crimson liquid trickled out. At first I didn't understand, but then it hit me, and if it weren't for Caelen's stell grip on my hands then I was sure I would have keeled over.
'What the hell did you do?' I choked, shaking uncontrollably at the sight of my sister. Now, Vampyres don't feel pain at the slightest of things, but I could see the agony in her eyes - not just from the atrocity that had fallen upon her, committed by, most likely, Vic, but from her new inability to communicate with me.
Vic only grinned as her head fell down again, defeated.
They'd cut out her tongue.
'Now then, my lovely, I advise that you watch closely. I want you to watch, as I tear your sister apart, limb by limb....and then I'm going to do the same to you.' Vic grinned in the dim light, his eyes shone almost black and his teeth glinted dangerously.
I drew in a sharp breath as Carrie looked at me desperately, pleading me with her eyes even though there was nothing I could do to help her.
'Please, please, don't.' I begged for her, though the reality of what they were undeniably about to do had not truly affected me yet.
'Please?' He laughed a booming laugh, and though I am not sure whether it was a figment of my fearful imagination or not, I thought it made the very stone foundations of the walls shake. 'Please don't.' Vic sobered up, snarling at me so suddenly it made me jump. 'You stole my family home from me, sabotaged our safety and stole our pride. Why should I show you mercy?'
'Carrie - she was just a girl! She didn't even understand, she was barely a vampyre at all. Please, just let her go.' I argued weakly, knowing it would be of little use.
'So she can return many a year later, seeking revenge? Or be left at the hands of mortals who fear her and wish her an even more gruesome death? Neither sounds very appealed, really, so I'm afraid that my killing her is the only win-win situation.' He tutted, as if he had thought this over deeply.
'Please.' I sobbed with my last breath, knowing it was a wasted effort. Vic's eyes were determined, flitting to his parent's encouraging faces every few seconds.
With a sound almost like a giggle, one of the elder Celinieks replaced Vic as Carrie's captor and wrenched her to into the air, high enough that her toes barely scratched the floor as Vic fell to his knees.
'One.' He whispered, and I first I saw no difference until Carrie's mouth opened in a silent, desperate scream. Vic's inhumanely long nails had dug into her flesh and right through her leg as her savagely ripped through skin, muscle, tendons until her leg was no longer attached to her body. I felt my stomach turning, even though it was not possible for me to physically empty my stomach, I still felt myself heaving.
I squeezed my eyes shut, tears forcing their way out of my eyes, but I knew that just because I could not see her did not mean Carrie was not in pain.
The weight around my side was gone, and I fell to the floor unexpectedly, my eyelids opening with a start.
'Tw- Hey! Now, now, younger brother, you sure are no fun! I've been waiting for this for so many years!' Vic complained, putting his hand on his hip in a comic manner and pursing his pale lips. It was funny, how different Caelen and Vic were now that they stood beside eachother. I knew that Vic and his Vampyric parents were true blood family, where Caelen was a later edition - though he was a blood relative, he was not a direct one. The two had similar aspects, of course, but they still seemed so strikingly different. Vic's hair was now silverish, as his eyes were a faded black. His skin was stretched to the point where it was near translucent - yet rather than it seeming repulsive, it was strangely alluring. His veins were black with his contaminated blood.
I fell backwards in relief, resting on my elbows to steady myself and bringing my knees to my chest, staring over them at the scene before me.
'I knew he couldn't be trusted! We shouldn't have brought him here.' Vic's Father growled, clenching his fists. 'He is too young! He does not truly no our ways.'
'Tomas!' His wife retorted snappily. 'We could hardly leave him behind! Besides, what did you expect of him? He is still in touch with his humanity, his heart still beats with blue and red blood, of course such a thing would provoke him. Maybe it was for the better. We can not get too carried away.' She brushed a hand through her platinum blonde hair, her pallid blue eyes stern.
'We can do as we like! This is our place! I had planned for this, thirsted for this for decades - and he ruined it!' Vic spun around, glaring icily at Caelen who held Carrie's head in his hands, a grimace planted on his face.
'I just want this over with, Victor. I have no patience for your twisted games.' Caelen huffed, dropping her head to the floor. I squealed in horror, quickly clasping a hand to my mouth as the noise escaped my mouth.
The whole family turned to face me, frowning as if they had forgotten I was there.
'Actually, brother, it is fine. I have a better plan.' Vic tilted his head to inspect me, a slow smile creeping onto his face that sent shivers running up my spine, like cold fingers of lightning. 'I forgot their was too of you. You are lucky, girl, for I am patient. Death will not become you yet. Yours will be a slow, painful one.'
And then he was stood in front of me, making me feel smaller than I already was as he leered at me, stretching out his arm and brushing his cold hands against my neck.
I pushed him away, which, to my dismay, only made his smile grow. 'Don't worry, sweet, we have plenty of time.' He knelt down next to me, gripping my wrists tightly and brushing away my hair, nuzzling his head into the crook of my neck and pressing his cold lips to the place where my blood flow was most accessible before pressing his sharp teeth to my skin, silently threatening to bite....which could never end well.
I knew I should move or back away or...something, but I was frozen; in fear, or anticipation, I didn't know, but I knew that nothing good could come of my current situation.
'Stop it, Vic. Seriously, just leave it.' Caelen sighed, wincing.
Vic drew back, all but reluctantly. 'You'll learn, little brother.' He said simply before turning to leave.
I let out a breath of relief, only to have it catch in my throat.
'But I don't want to see that stupid bitch until you do.' He spat, whirling round and raising his arm as if to slap me (Which would probably have snapped my neck, in truth), yet before his body could make contact with mine he reeled back, hissing in pain;
'Holy -!' He snarled, shaking his hand as if it had been burnt. I stared at him in wonder, suddenly realising as he tested his limits again by trying to grab me by the collar, that I was safe. The protection of my ancestors must have set in to work.
'You....you... What did you do?' He screamed, not bothering to try and control his flaring temper.
This time I was not afraid, and merely returned his fierce behaviour with a grin of my own.
